Agricultural Contractors have benefitted greatly from the evolution of technology, but there is one thing that cannot be surpassed and that is experience.
From a time when everything was hands on, the machinery available these days allows operators to get through at least ten times as much work on a daily basis.
Being able to know what a customer wants and giving them the service that they require cannot only be achieved through a modern fleet of machinery.
Agricultural contractors are an integral part of the farming industry and without them; many farmers would not be able to get their work done.
There are many overheads in agri contracting as machinery doesn’t come cheap, but in order to carry out their duties to the highest standard, nothing but the best will do.
There are many agricultural contractors on the island of Ireland and in Co Antrim, Rutledge Contracts services the needs of farmers in the Ballinderry area.
For the last eight years, Darragh Rutledge has provided a top quality service to a large customer base as the agricultural contractor has built up a reputation for reliability and efficiency.
Rutledge Contracts not only concentrates on silage harvesting, but other services include slurry, baling, hedge cutting and plant work.
The company’s customer base covers just a ten-mile radius, but within that catchment area are a lot of clients.
Established in 2007, this family run business has grown over the intervening years and so too has the customer base as word of mouth has been the best for of advertising for the firm.
Darragh Rutledge runs the business with the help of his father David who farms over 150 acres of land with sucklers and cereals being their main area of expertise.
Darragh decided to set up the agri-contracting business and he admits that he is pleased with the progress they have made in recent years.
“We’d provide a wide range of services including silage, slurry, ploughing, hedge cutting, baling and other work,” said Darragh.
“Silage is the big thing during the summer months and there is a small window of opportunity to get the work done.”
The adverse weather conditions in Ireland mean that cutting silage is not a procedure that can be achieved at the same time every year, but when we do get ‘dry spells’, it is essential for agricultural contractors to move quickly.
To do this, they need a modern and efficient fleet of machinery that will stand up to the demands of this hectic period. However, this year’s weather has certainly favoured farmers and contractors alike.
“We’ve been fortunate with the weather this year. I have two silage wagons and depending on the amount of cutting we have to do, we can split into two crews. We would pick up on average of 80 acres of silage in a day, but we have picked up as much as 140-150 acres in a day.”
Having grown up on a farm, Darragh knows what his customers wanted and this helped him no end when it came to attracting new business over the years.
“We know what farmers want and that is to ensure customer satisfaction by ensuring the importance of getting the job done to as high a standard as possible.
“The main aim is to get in and get the job done as quickly as you can. With the weather being so unpredictable, there is only a small window of opportunity to make silage, so it is a case of working 24/7 during that period.
“Fortunately, this year has been not too bad weather wise and it makes life so much easier when you have a bigger window to work through.”
Darragh added that having a top quality fleet and work force enables him to get through large quantities of work at one time.
“I have a modern fleet of machinery that which is very up to date and this avoids any unnecessary breakdowns that may occur. All the workers have a lot of experience in operating machinery and I have to say that there is a great crew of seasonal workers here.”
Darragh revealed that the machinery is upgraded on a regular basis and he added that he receives a great service from the dealers that he deals with in this regard.
“I would buy my machinery from John McElderry, Kennedy’s of Ballymena and Erwins Agri Care and they all give a very good service.”
The customer base is within a ten mile radius of their homestead in Ballinderry and Darragh admitted that this had its advantages.
“There is little travelling to be done and that allows us to get from one job to another in good time, so we can get through a lot of work very quickly.”
Another service provided by the company is fire wood as they have a fire wood processor in their possession and transform any large hedges into firewood that is then sold on to customers.
“We are kept busy most of the year, the silage is obviously the big thing during the summer, but we also do a lot of baling and that is something that we are looking to push more. I’ve a Lely Tornado, which helps us get through a good bit of work.
“The hedge cutting and firewood keep us going during the winter, while we would do a lot of maintenance work and ensure that the fleet is ready for next summer.”
Rutledge Contracts
Ballinderry,
Co Antrim
Tel: 07720888818
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 11, December 2015
